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Tenth of December

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By:
George Saunders

Narrated by:
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Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
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One of the most important and blazingly original writers of his generation, George Saunders is an undisputed master of the short story, and
Tenth of December is his most honest, accessible, and moving collection yet. In the taut opener, "Victory Lap", a boy witnesses the attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced with a harrowing choice: Does he ignore what he sees, or override years of smothering advice from his parents and act? In "Home", a combat-damaged soldier moves back in with his mother and struggles to reconcile the world he left with the one to which he has returned.

5 out of 5 stars

Be prepared for something different...but good!

By
Mr. D
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02-21-14

Congratulations, by the Way

Some Thoughts on Kindness

By:
George Saunders

Narrated by:
George Saunders

Length: 12 mins

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Three months after George Saunders gave a convocation address at Syracuse University, a transcript of that speech was posted on the website of
The New York Times, where its simple, uplifting message struck a deep chord. Within days, it had been shared more than one million times. Why? Because Saunders’s words tap into a desire in all of us to lead kinder, more fulfilling lives. Powerful, funny, and wise,
Congratulations, by the Way is an inspiring message from one of today’s most influential and original writers.

Lincoln in the Bardo

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By:
George Saunders

Narrated by:
Nick Offerman,
David Sedaris,
George Saunders,
and others

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

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Overall

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The long-awaited first novel from the author of
Tenth of December: a moving and original father-son story featuring none other than Abraham Lincoln, as well as an unforgettable cast of supporting characters, living and dead, historical and invented. February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill.

5 out of 5 stars

George Saunders answer to Dante's Inferno

By
Betty Vance
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10-02-17

Them: Adventures with Extremists

By:
Jon Ronson

Narrated by:
Jon Ronson

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

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Them began as a book about different kinds of extremists, but after Jon had got to know some of them - Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen - he found that they had one oddly similar belief: that a tiny, shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, Jon sets out, with the help of the extremists, to locate that room. The journey is as creepy as it is comic, and along the way Jon is chased by men in dark glasses, unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp, and more.

5 out of 5 stars

Dated but VERY Good... and FUNNY!

By
aaron
on
09-26-12

The Incredible: A Conversation Between George Saunders and Jonathan Safran Foer

By:
The New Yorker

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Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

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Recorded live at the 2007 New Yorker Festival in New York City.

George Saunders is the author of the story collections CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, Pastoralia, and In Persuasion Nation; an illustrated novella, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil; and a children's book, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip. The Braindead Megaphone, a collection of his essays, many of which first appeared in The New Yorker, was released in September 2007.

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

By:
Sarah Vowell

Narrated by:
Sarah Vowell,
John Slattery,
Nick Offerman,
and others

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,055

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story

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From the best-selling author of
Assassination Vacation and
Unfamiliar Fishes, a humorous account of the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette - the one Frenchman we could all agree on - and an insightful portrait of a nation's idealism and its reality.
Lafayette in the Somewhat United States is a humorous and insightful portrait of the famed Frenchman, the impact he had on our young country, and his ongoing relationship with instrumental Americans of the time.

5 out of 5 stars

Already waiting for Sarah Vowell's next adventure

By
Michael
on
10-25-15

Tenth of December

Stories

By:
George Saunders

Narrated by:
George Saunders

Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
1,126

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
1,016

Story

4 out of 5 stars
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One of the most important and blazingly original writers of his generation, George Saunders is an undisputed master of the short story, and
Tenth of December is his most honest, accessible, and moving collection yet. In the taut opener, "Victory Lap", a boy witnesses the attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced with a harrowing choice: Does he ignore what he sees, or override years of smothering advice from his parents and act? In "Home", a combat-damaged soldier moves back in with his mother and struggles to reconcile the world he left with the one to which he has returned.

5 out of 5 stars

Be prepared for something different...but good!

By
Mr. D
on
02-21-14

Congratulations, by the Way

Some Thoughts on Kindness

By:
George Saunders

Narrated by:
George Saunders

Length: 12 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
73

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
64

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
64

Three months after George Saunders gave a convocation address at Syracuse University, a transcript of that speech was posted on the website of
The New York Times, where its simple, uplifting message struck a deep chord. Within days, it had been shared more than one million times. Why? Because Saunders’s words tap into a desire in all of us to lead kinder, more fulfilling lives. Powerful, funny, and wise,
Congratulations, by the Way is an inspiring message from one of today’s most influential and original writers.

Lincoln in the Bardo

A Novel

By:
George Saunders

Narrated by:
Nick Offerman,
David Sedaris,
George Saunders,
and others

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
4,950

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
4,660

Story

4 out of 5 stars
4,630

The long-awaited first novel from the author of
Tenth of December: a moving and original father-son story featuring none other than Abraham Lincoln, as well as an unforgettable cast of supporting characters, living and dead, historical and invented. February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill.

5 out of 5 stars

George Saunders answer to Dante's Inferno

By
Betty Vance
on
10-02-17

Them: Adventures with Extremists

By:
Jon Ronson

Narrated by:
Jon Ronson

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,872

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,699

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,694

Them began as a book about different kinds of extremists, but after Jon had got to know some of them - Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen - he found that they had one oddly similar belief: that a tiny, shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, Jon sets out, with the help of the extremists, to locate that room. The journey is as creepy as it is comic, and along the way Jon is chased by men in dark glasses, unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp, and more.

5 out of 5 stars

Dated but VERY Good... and FUNNY!

By
aaron
on
09-26-12

The Incredible: A Conversation Between George Saunders and Jonathan Safran Foer

By:
The New Yorker

Narrated by:
George Saunders,
Jonathan Safran Foer

Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
10

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
8

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
8

Recorded live at the 2007 New Yorker Festival in New York City.

George Saunders is the author of the story collections CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, Pastoralia, and In Persuasion Nation; an illustrated novella, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil; and a children's book, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip. The Braindead Megaphone, a collection of his essays, many of which first appeared in The New Yorker, was released in September 2007.

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

By:
Sarah Vowell

Narrated by:
Sarah Vowell,
John Slattery,
Nick Offerman,
and others

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,055

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,894

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,884

From the best-selling author of
Assassination Vacation and
Unfamiliar Fishes, a humorous account of the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette - the one Frenchman we could all agree on - and an insightful portrait of a nation's idealism and its reality.
Lafayette in the Somewhat United States is a humorous and insightful portrait of the famed Frenchman, the impact he had on our young country, and his ongoing relationship with instrumental Americans of the time.

5 out of 5 stars

Already waiting for Sarah Vowell's next adventure

By
Michael
on
10-25-15

Fresh Complaint

Stories

By:
Jeffrey Eugenides

Narrated by:
Jeffrey Eugenides,
Ari Fliakos,
Cynthia Nixon

Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
76

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
69

Story

4 out of 5 stars
69

The stories in
Fresh Complaint explore equally rich and intriguing territory. Ranging from the bitingly reproductive antics of “Baster” to the dreamy, moving account of a young traveler’s search for enlightenment in “Air Mail” (selected by Annie Proulx for Best American Short Stories), this collection presents characters in the midst of personal and national emergencies.

5 out of 5 stars

Skip the first story, but the rest are incredible!!

By
jordan barse
on
01-31-18

Theft by Finding

Diaries (1977-2002)

By:
David Sedaris

Narrated by:
David Sedaris

Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins

Unabridged

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4.5 out of 5 stars
3,302

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4.5 out of 5 stars
3,003

Story

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For nearly four decades, David Sedaris has faithfully kept a diary in which he records his thoughts and observations on the odd and funny events he witnesses. Anyone who has attended a live Sedaris event knows that his diary readings are often among the most joyful parts of the evening. But never before have they been available in print. Now, in
Theft by Finding, Sedaris brings us his favorite entries. From deeply poignant to laugh-out-loud funny, these selections reveal with new intimacy a man longtime fans only think they know.

The Largesse of the Sea Maiden is the long-awaited new story collection from Denis Johnson. Written in the luminous prose that made him one of the most beloved and important writers of his generation, this collection finds Johnson in new territory, contemplating the ghosts of the past and the elusive and unexpected ways the mysteries of the universe assert themselves.

5 out of 5 stars

RIP Denis Johnson

By
Thomas B. Houghton
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01-19-18

David Foster Wallace: In His Own Words

By:
David Foster Wallace

Narrated by:
David Foster Wallace

Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
185

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
169

Story

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167

Collected here for the first time are the stories and speeches of David Foster Wallace as read by the author himself. Over the course of his career, David Foster Wallace recorded a variety of his work in diverse circumstances - from studio recordings to live performances - that are finally compiled in this unique collection.

5 out of 5 stars

The best book on Audible!

By
Amazon Customer
on
04-07-16

A Short Stay in Hell

By:
Steven L. Peck

Narrated by:
Sergei Burbank

Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins

Unabridged

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4.5 out of 5 stars
754

Performance

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704

Story

4 out of 5 stars
708

An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he'll be reunited with his loved ones after death in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his life. In this haunting existential novella, author, philosopher, and ecologist Steven L. Peck explores a subversive vision of eternity.

4 out of 5 stars

Beautifully unsettling

By
Ryan
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08-23-14

A Short History of Nearly Everything

By:
Bill Bryson

Narrated by:
Richard Matthews

Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
15,800

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10,754

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Bill Bryson has been an enormously popular author both for his travel books and for his books on the English language. Now, this beloved comic genius turns his attention to science. Although he doesn't know anything about the subject (at first), he is eager to learn, and takes information that he gets from the world's leading experts and explains it to us in a way that makes it exciting and relevant.

4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating; Perfect for Adult ADHD

By
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on
05-13-04

Oblivion

Stories

By:
David Foster Wallace

Narrated by:
Robert Petkoff

Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
185

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
160

Story

4 out of 5 stars
160

In the stories that make up
Oblivion, David Foster Wallace joins the rawest, most naked humanity with the infinite involutions of self-consciousness--a combination that is dazzlingly, uniquely his. These are worlds undreamt-of by any other mind. Only David Foster Wallace could convey a father's desperate loneliness by way of his son's daydreaming through a teacher's homicidal breakdown ("The Soul Is Not a Smithy"). Or could explore the deepest and most hilarious aspects of creativity.

Where do you begin with a writer as original and brilliant as David Foster Wallace? Here - with a carefully considered selection of his extraordinary body of work, chosen by a range of great writers, critics, and those who worked with him most closely. This volume presents his most dazzling, funniest, and most heartbreaking work.

5 out of 5 stars

Great for teachers!

By
sharky
on
10-07-15

All the Pretty Horses

The Border Trilogy, Book One

By:
Cormac McCarthy

Narrated by:
Frank Muller

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,455

Performance

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Sixteen-year-old John Grady Cole's grandfather has just died, his parents have permanently separated, and the family ranch, upon which he had placed so many boyish hopes, has been sold. Rootless and increasingly restive, Cole leaves Texas, accompanied by his friend Lacey Rawlins, and begins a journey across the vaquero frontier into the badlands of northern Mexico.

5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful writing

By
LMS
on
05-21-15

This Is Water: The Original David Foster Wallace Recording

By:
David Foster Wallace

Narrated by:
David Foster Wallace

Length: 24 mins

Original Recording

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586

Performance

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466

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Only once did David Foster Wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. This is the audio recording of David Foster Wallace delivering that very address. How does one keep from going through their comfortable, prosperous adult life unconsciously? How do we get ourselves out of the foreground of our thoughts and achieve compassion? The speech captures Wallace's electric intellect as well as his grace in attention to others.

5 out of 5 stars

The best 20 minutes of my life.

By
John Nosal
on
10-09-12

The Sirens of Titan

By:
Kurt Vonnegut

Narrated by:
Jay Snyder

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

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4 out of 5 stars
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4.5 out of 5 stars
1,514

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1,518

The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a space journey to distant worlds with a beautiful woman at his side. Of course, there's a catch to the invitation....

5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Outstanding

By
Robert
on
01-07-12

Slaughterhouse-Five

By:
Kurt Vonnegut

Narrated by:
James Franco

Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
7,202

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4.5 out of 5 stars
6,662

Story

4 out of 5 stars
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Traumatized by the bombing of Dresden at the time he had been imprisoned, Pilgrim drifts through all events and history, sometimes deeply implicated, sometimes a witness. He is surrounded by Vonnegut's usual large cast of continuing characters (notably here the hack science fiction writer Kilgore Trout and the alien Tralfamadorians, who oversee his life and remind him constantly that there is no causation, no order, no motive to existence).

5 out of 5 stars

Everything is nothing, with a twist.

By
Darwin8u
on
01-22-17

Publisher's Summary

From the author of the instant New York Times best-seller Tenth of December comes a darkly comic short story, a fable about the all-too-real impact that we humans have on the environment.

Fox 8 has always been known as the daydreamer in his pack, the one his fellow foxes regarded with a knowing snort and a roll of the eyes. That is, until Fox 8 develops a unique skill: He teaches himself to speak “Yuman” by hiding in the bushes outside a house and listening to children’s bedtime stories. The power of language fuels his abundant curiosity about people - even after “danjur” arrives in the form of a new shopping mall that cuts off his food supply, sending Fox 8 on a harrowing quest to help save his pack. Told with his distinctive blend of humor and pathos, "Fox 8" showcases the extraordinary imaginative talents of George Saunders, whom the New York Times called “the writer for our time.”

Sly Foxes, Wise Owls, Mean Dudes

This title appeared in Howard Polskin's (CEO & Editor in Chief of Thin Reads) 2013 Best Summer Reads. The criteria for selections were: the stories had to be published within the last year, short--between 100-200 pages, something light, engaging--quote: "easy to finish, sort of like a cold Amstel beer on Main Beach in the Hamptons." If I could spend the summer on any beach in the Hamptons (or for that matter any beach anywhere)...the warm slobber-infused water left in my bulldog's bowl would be easy to finish, but what has that got to do with books...

I would toss into that equation: well-written, thought provoking, enjoyable. $1.95/George Saunders/ 37 minutes, you can't go wrong. I found this funny, charming, then alarming and sad (as is always the case when animals go head to head with *Yumans*), but always crisp and entertaining, and for any audience. Use your cash, save your credit, and if for some reason you don't like it...close your eyes and pretend you're on Main Beach--you'll still have $$ left for a cold brewski. *Highly recommend.

A quirky modern-day fable

The thing I liked most about Saunders' quirky fable is how innocent and honest his writing can be without becoming saccharine. He manages with his simple narrative and his prose ticks to walk up to the line of absurdly sentimental and overdone, but then slinks backs down.

Obvious comparisons should probably be made to David Sedaris' modern bestiary: 'Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk' and Dahl's 'Fantastic Mr Fox'. Saunders's story 'Fox 8' seems to belong to that same family group descended from the Aesopica. Not my favorite genre, but Saunders could write a phone book and I'd go out and buy it and read/listen to it.

While Saunders might consider his narration style to Leo Kottke's singing voice ("geese farts on a muggy day"), I think his voice is a perfect compliment to his writing.

Crafty Story

I loved this story; I listened to it on my ipod, so I can't comment on the grammar style used in the written form that seemed to bother many reviewers. This is a very short story told from the point of view of Fox 8; he's a fox who was named that way because his pack used numbers as their names. He starts out thinking that humans are smart and kind; however, do to circumstances created by humans and after witnessing an act of cruelty by humans, his thinking evolves in this regard. As I listen to the news and go about my daily life, I find myself also asking the very same question that Fox 8 asks in his letter to the humans: "What is WRONG with you people?"

Fox 8 is pretty fabulous

I heard about this story today and knew I needed it in my life. Next thing I knew I was downloading it from Audible and the rest is history. It's the story of a fox, Fox 8, who observes and admires the people in the world around him. He learns to speak "Yuman". This is impressive yet unsettling to the other foxes but he has always been the sort of odd one of the group. Then the Yumans start to build a shopping mall. Thing start to change for the foxes and not for the better. Fox 8 is an admirable young fox. He has a positive outlook on life and loves his fellow foxes. He has a thirst for knowledge and answers that many of the other foxes don't. I immediately wanted to pick him up and give him the adoring cuddle that he deserved. Anyway- all cuteness and Yuman speak aside this story did have a serious side. It was rough for a bit and there were a few moments that really had you shaking you're head at Yumanity. I know, I get it what animal book doesn't? But still I felt for Fox 8. Foxes should have rights too. Maybe even justice. Look how cute and smart they are. Why don't they deserve the same things that Yumans do?Ok now I'm getting a bit off track. Foxes and their adorableness just get me so riled up! So kawaii with their big eyes and ears and their fluffy white tipped tails! Plus they're all smart and playful to top it off. Ugh I have to stop! I'm like totally obsessed with them!The author narrated this story in the Audible version. I think that can sometimes make or break a book. In this case it totally made it. He dove in head first and knew exactly how he wanted it to come out and how he wanted Fox 8 to sound. It was his creation coming to life perfectly (or at least I imagine it to be!)Anyway. Great story. Read it and hopefully you will love it just like I did!

It's, like, kind of annoying

I really could have enjoyed this book. Talking animals, particularly those with a sense of humor, are among my favorite literary characters. But when every other sentence includes the word "like" I have to throw in the towel. Too bad! It could have been fun.

Genuinely Touching

I read this story in the McSweeney's newspaper in 2009 or '10 and never got it out of my head. Having forgotten who wrote it, searching "Fox 8" didn't yield useful results until I found another story by George Saunders and recognized the style. You become totally attached to the fox and you can see it moving around through the story. Saunders is so gifted at creating striking imagery with simple language. Fox 8 is like a friend to me, who I can now visit again after years

Sort by:

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

4 out of 5 stars

Wras

01-05-18

If we could see ourselves

A terrible depiction of humanity, a sad truth well told.

I would not say that this is a child's tale but maybe a and early adolescent confrontation with an uncomfortable truth, the violence is real and the pain Fox 8 fills is very real.

A bittersweet tale that revives that child in us and shames the adult for forgetting the magic around us.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Matt

02-05-18

Short and exceptionally sweet.

Fox 8 is such an endearing book with a lot of heart. It makes articulate points about human nature, cruelty and, err, foxes. It'll have you hooked from the start and will keep you there until that final and utterly remarkable line.

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Shila

06-11-17

I love George Saunders. There. I said it.

This story is so compelling. It was a priviledge to listen to it being read by its author.